A hundred or so years ago midtown
Manhattan was considered a rural area. In these outskirts, the rich built
their country homes, and hotels and inns were popular stopovers for folks
making the long trek to the city. In the 1820's, places like the Mount
Vernon Hotel provided peace and quiet -- an escape from the rat race.

The hotel was conceived as a carriage house in 1795 by Col. William Stephens Smith and Abigail Adams, daughter of President John Adams. After several changes of ownership and the destruction of the main building on the estate, the carriage house was remodeled and opened as the Mount Vernon Hotel in the late 1820's.

With the rapid spread of industrialization, the hotel soon gave way to private residence and subsequent purchase by the Standard Gas Light Company. Finally, under the direction of the Colonial Dames of America, the house was opened as a museum in 1939.

With restoration still underway, the Abigail Adams Smith Museum will ultimately become one of the few institutions in the nation that illuminates hotel life in the early nineteenth century. Today the Museum provides wonderful tours, evoking an old world atmosphere that is at once enchanting and educational.

Throughout the year families can enjoy a number of programs and events. Call for a schedule.

Adult and School Groups can take an educational tour, making this Museum a valuable resource for the city and surrounding communities.